Well. Finally here is part 2, sorry for the lengthy delay. :D One thing I
must point out though is as I was going over this one last time yesterday
evening, I noticed something that made me slap myself on the forehead! It
turns out I've been spelling 'Gilrean' wrong, so I've gone and changed it
to 'Gilraen', as it is in the books.
Also, this chapter was really fun for me to write, I've waited for so long
to add the Hobbits in! So enjoy it :D As you might also figure out, from
here on in, the story will mostly be traveling parallel to the books. But
with a difference, of course! Lets just say, I like writing about the bits
that are NOT written into the books, lol. The unseen stuff, and it's those
moments that are going to shake Sam's life up a bit!
Anyway, that's enough from me.
Remember: reviews are loved! (And thank you to everyone who has sent them!
:)
Damia
Part Two
"Matters of Rings and Stones"
****
"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor, and to the Lord and Stewart of the realm, to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to come and to go, in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me, or the world end. So say I, Peregrin son of Paladin of the Shire of the Halflings."
Pippin swearing allegiance to the Stewart of Gondor, "The Return of the King"
****
The first week of May, 3018 TA. The Village of Hobbiton, The Shire..
Feeling the wind of the glorious day around them blowing her long golden hair out behind her, Sam clutched the small body in front of her more tightly and spurred Madonna on, a grin bursting on her face as she felt the horse beneath her give in to the desire to run. The meadow became a green and gold blur as they galloped full tilt across the grass; Madonna's legs stretched as her powerful muscles flew them through the Shire.
She vaguely heard Pippin Took give a wild, war cry of a laugh from in front of her as he held on to Madonna's mane for all he was worth. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam knew she should probably slow down, that it wasn't safe for the young Hobbit to be travelling so fast on such a large horse, but the other half of her brain quickly squashed all resistance as they cleanly cleared a fallen log and took off across the paddock once again.
It had been three week since Sam and Gandalf had arrived in the Shire, and in those weeks Sam had found very little time to take Madonna for a long ride and she had missed it. Even though Gandalf often told her someday she was going to "fall off that blasted horse and break her reckless neck", Sam loved the excitement of the speed, the danger of the chase, and the complete and utter freedom of the wind through her unpinned hair.
It was obvious that Madonna was enjoying her chance of unbridled freedom as much as Sam and Pippin were, for the chestnut mare had been at full tilt for a while now and showed no sign of wanting to slow down herself.
"Hold on, Pippin!" Sam yelled above the pounding of hooves as the trio expertly wove around a set of trees that Sam knew signaled their arrival in the outskirts of Hobbiton. Spying the country road just above the rise, Sam changed Madonna's direction ever so slightly with the flick of her wrist, and without slowing down in the slightest, the horse tensed her muscles and cleared the hill so they now flew parallel with the road.
She could now see the smoke rising slowly from the tops of the Hobbit holes of the village and knew their little expedition of thrills was soon to be over. Unwilling to send Pippin off without a bang, Sam loosened her hold on the reigns to give Madonna all the head she wanted, leaned forward and cried, "Come on, Maddy! Just a little bit more!" and was rewarded when the mare gave a determined snort, pulled her head down and lengthened her stride.
From the corner of her eye, Sam caught sight of the stout figure of a Hobbit on the road turn with a start at the sound of the approaching horse and jump clear in the air as he saw Madonna flying towards him. Recognizing the Hobbit instantly, Sam grinned devilish and yelled for Pippin's attention.
But it was obvious the young Took had already noticed the fellow Hobbit on the road, for the instant he flew past on Madonna, the horse a tad closer to the Hobbit than necessary, Pippin straightened, and keeping one hand firmly clutched in the mane, he cupped his mouth and yelled down at the stunned young man,
"Sorry, Ted! No time to stop for a chat!"
And as Ted Sandyman's jaw literally hit the ground as he watched Pippin zoom past in a blur of red horse and Sam's golden hair, Pippin leaned back against Sam and let out another wild, completely uncivilized, war cry of a laugh.
Sam felt like joining him, and did.
She barely noticed the other Hobbits stop what they were doing and stare as they galloped over the front paddocks of the village on their way towards Bag End. But when she finally, regretfully, pulled Madonna to a halt a few minutes later, she could feel the round, staring eyes of the awed Hobbit children who had obviously seen them coming and bolted up the hill to catch a closer glimpse of the mad woman, her equally mad horse and the obviously insane Hobbit who dared join them.
Jumping cleanly from Madonna's back, she gave the heaving horse a quick pat on her rump before walking to her front and reaching up to kiss her firmly on her nose. Madonna snorted and tossed her head, her sides heaving from their exertion.
"Now, Maddy! Stop that!" laughed Sam as her horse tossed her head again. Still laughing, Sam walked around Madonna's side and stared up at Pippin, hands on her hips, which were hidden in the folds of her comfortable cinnamon skirt.
The Hobbit looked half crazed, sitting up on the seemingly enormous horse, his normally curly hair sticking out in all direction, clothes wind blown and littered with bits of leaves. His eyes were wide as buckets and still held the wild lit from minutes ago. He was staring out in front of him, a silly grin on his face, seemingly blind to his surroundings.
"Well, Master Peregrin?" Sam prompted, hoping he didn't have a sudden heart attack or something. "What is your opinion of horses now?"
"Huh?" was Pippin's only legible answer and he suddenly blinked madly and stared down at her as if he had just realised she was there.
Giggling, Sam was just reaching up to pull him from the saddle when the front door of Bag End flew open and two more small figures rushed out to meet them. Leaving Pippin where he was for the moment, Sam turned and grinned down at the gaping faces of Merry Brandybuck and Samwise Gamgee, both of whom had come to a skidding halt at the gate and were staring up at Pippin like he had grown five additional heads.
"Saints spare me, what have you gone and done, Mr. Pippin?" was Samwise's whispered inquiry. Merry, it seemed, was still unable to speak, for he was still gaping up at his cousin, shaking his head from side to side, obviously not believing his eyes.
Their reaction seemed to be exactly what Pippin needed to retain his sanity for he suddenly straightened in the saddle and tilted his nose down at them. "I'll have you two know, thank you very much, that I am now an accomplished horseman."
Hiding her snort in Madonna's side, Sam turned back to Sam and Merry, both whom had turned their head to her for verification of this amazing statement the instant it had left Pippin's mouth. Forcing a serious expression on her face, she nodded her head sagely while giving Madonna a leisurely pat.
"Be that as it may, Peregrin Took," came a deep voice rife with amusement from the doorway, "Don't go getting it into that foolish head of yours to take up the sport as a regular occurrence. I will not be picking up bits of you from here to Buckland the next time you take a fancy of scaring the living daylights out of Ted Sandyman!"
They all looked up as Gandalf poked his head out of the doorway, his bushy gray eyebrows pushed up in inquiry as his expectant gaze settled on the mounted Hobbit, who had the sense to look sheepish and nod silently.
While in the back on her mind wondering how on earth Gandalf could have known about Ted Sandyman, Sam left Pippin and Madonna where they where, knowing Madonna wouldn't stray to far from Bag End for a few minutes, and met the Wizard as he left the doorway. Reaching up, she gave her dear friend a loving kiss on his rough cheek before linking her arm through his as they turned to head in doors.
Behind her, she heard Pippin cry to the Hobbits below him, "You should have seen it, Merry! I was going so fast the trees seemed to be all joined together! And Sam! You should have seen Ted's face! You would have loved it!"
Then...
"Here, here! Just where are you all going? Can someone get me down from here!? Samantha? Gandalf?"
****
They found Frodo seated in front of the open fire, despite the humid temperature of the day, staring moodily into the flames as if expecting them to reveal all the secrets of the world. Hearing Sam and Gandalf's arrival in the front hall, the dark haired Hobbit quickly jumped to his feet as a guilty flush stained his neck. Turning to his guests, he forced a smile to light his lips as he glanced out the window.
"You have finally managed to get my cousin up on that beast of yours, I see, Samantha." Frodo said with humor as they entered the room, both ducking unconsciously as the cleared the low doorway. Sam had smacked her forehead enough times in the first week of their stay for the gesture to have become reflex by now.
Sam smiled down at her new friend as she made a beeline towards the kitchen. Helping herself to a cup of tea, she called through the door, "Pippin sure won't be making any more comments about Maddy, I assure you, Frodo." Smiling at the answering laughter her remark had caused, Sam seized one of the tasty pastries cooling on the bench and came back to the den.
She found Gandalf sitting in his usual seat, puffing away on his pipe as he casually regarded Frodo under bushy gray eyebrows as the young Hobbit stood silently in front of the window, watching wistfully as his laughing friends played merrily with Madonna. Sam was sure her dear horse was putting up with their childish behavior with barely contained tolerance.
Hearing the clicking of her shoes as she came back into the room, Frodo quickly turned from the window and smiled kindly at her as he moved out of her way, brushing away Sam's protests that she was fine sitting by the fire. Sam had taken to sitting on the window seat each morning, as she liked watching the small Hobbits as they went about their daily business.
After four years at Lothlórien, there was something refreshing, soothing and undeniably simple about life among the little people that warmed Sam's heart. Not for the first time, she felt a stab of regret at the thought of Gilrean back among the elves, having never known a life like this. Sam had sworn to herself after only an afternoon in the Shire that she would find some way to bring Gilrean here to stay, even if that was to be years in the future.
As she took a seat, Sam covertly regarded the Hobbit as Gandalf had been, watching and waiting for the moment Frodo would announce plans for his departure. In the three weeks since Sam and Gandalf had arrived suddenly in the Shire in the second week of April, Frodo hadn't spoken a word about the matters which had been discussed at length the morning after their arrival. Sam knew she would remember that morning for the rest of her life.
Despite the fact Gandalf hadn't been in the Shire in over nine years, their arrival on the night of the 12th April had been met with only happy kindness on Frodo's behalf, the Hobbit refraining to comment on the Wizard's rather alarming absence. He had greeted Sam with frank curiosity, as she knew he would, understanding from Gandalf that not many Tall Folk ventured into the Shire.
His reunion with Gandalf had been touching, the young Hobbit bombarding the Wizard with questions about the elves before he had even taken a seat. But Gandalf had been firm, and refused to discuss anything until the morning, stating that what both he and Samantha were in need of most was a warm bed and a long nap. Sam had thought instantly of her daughter back in Lorien with Galadriel, who would be long in bed by this hour, and was struck with a stab of longing to see her golden face again, even though they had only been separated a matter of days.
As it had turned out, their departure from Lothlórien had been postponed over a month after a vital message had arrived from Aragorn in February requesting they delay until he arrived in April, stating he had essential news he must share with Gandalf and Celeborn both. So they had all spent restless and anxious weeks waiting for his return, both Sam and Gandalf eager to be off on their journey, but knowing Aragorn wouldn't halt their progress unless it was something vitally important.
He had finally arrived, cold and dirty, late at night in the middle of April and had asked to be immediately taken to Celeborn and Galadriel, who had greeted him anxiously. Sam remembered the haggard look on his handsome face as he quickly told all to his silent audience, and had wanted nothing more than to smooth the tired lines away.
His news was indeed dire. With a heavy heart and a grim expression, he had told them that his Dúnedain Rangers had spotted Mordoran scouts heading towards the Shire and would be there in a matter of weeks. Sam remembered with a chill the look of complete and utter defeat on Gandalf's face as he heard the news, and as she watched, he bent his head and closed his eyes as if in pain. Sam knew he had been dreading this moment for years, but would have secretly hoped it would never come.
There was no time for delay after that. The conference had broken up quickly as everyone went to work. Gandalf and Aragorn had headed down the corridor, both their heads bent close together as they made plans. Celeborn and Haldir had headed in the direction of the armory, no doubt to double the weapons Gandalf and Sam would be taking on their journey while a white faced Galadriel went straight to her chambers to write a quick message to Elrond, explaining all to her son-in-law in Rivendell.
As for Sam, she had headed slowly up the stairs to where her daughter lay sleeping in her bed, knowing with a heavy heart that they would be gone by the time she woke in the morning. So she had sat there, on the side of the small bed, the room silent save for Gilrean's light breathing, content to just watch her daughter's fair features relax in sleep.
Lightly brushing a wisp of golden hair off Gilrean's face with the tip of her finger, Sam had gently traced the curve of the child's brow, smiling softly at how it mirrored Jack's. She thought of him then, as she often did when looking at his daughter, wondering if he was well and what he was doing at that moment.
Sometime later, Gilrean had stirred, her little face scrunching up as she fought consciousness. But when her eyes had finally fluttered open, hazy with sleep, she saw Sam sitting on the bed and murmured softly, "Mama?"
Biting her lip, Sam had leaned down and brushed a kiss on the little girl's forehead, even as Gilrean pushed herself up off the pillow. "Is Aragorn here, Ma?" she asked groggily. But when Sam had nodded her head, Gilrean had blinked in excitement and made to jump out of the bed, only to get tangled in her nightgown in the process.
"No, hen." Sam had murmured quietly, while gathering the little girl up on her lap. "He's busy with Gandalf at the moment." Looking down into the pouting face, Sam had smiled and started to stroke her daughter's fine hair to sooth her. "They have some very important things to sort out before morning, but I'm sure he'll come and see you when he can."
Obviously sensing something in her mother's tone, Gilrean had tilted her small face up through her hair to regard Sam with wise, solemn eyes. "Are you and Mithrandir leaving soon, Ma? Now that Aragorn's here?" And when Sam had nodded her head in answer, wondering how Gilrean was going to take the news that not only her mother and Gandalf would be leaving, but Aragorn also, was bound to leave the next day. Now that he had delivered his message, he would be anxious to get back to his men.
But Gilrean had only nodded her head, accepting what had to be done. Then she had surprised Sam by reaching up and tangling her small arms around her mother's neck, bringing them face to face. Her face serious, she told Sam calmly, "I'll be a good girl, I promise, Mama. I'll help Galadriel all the time and I won't get into any trouble until you get back, okay?"
Chuckling, Sam had hugged the little girl. "I know you will, hen." Feeling tears threaten, she had hastily wiped her eyes before pulling back, kissing the top of Gilrean's head as she went. "I'm sure Galadriel will be pleased to have the help."
Pleased, Gilrean had snuggled into her mother's lap and closed her eyes, something that made Sam's heart clench tightly in her chest, for Gilrean was normally a very independent child and didn't often seek comfort. But when Sam had thought her again asleep, she was surprised when the little girl stirred and murmured softly, "I'll be very brave, like Da was when Pènne sent him home."
Opening her mouth to answer, Sam caught sight of movement in the doorway and closed it abruptly. Slowly turning her head, she found not only Gandalf, but also Aragorn standing quietly under the archway that separated Gilrean's nursery from the main chamber of their apartments, watching the pair on the bed with solemn expressions. Knowing it was time to go, Sam turned back to her daughter and gently untangled her arms from around her neck. Laying her back on the bed, she whispered softly, "I know you will, baby. Just like Da was."
Then she straightened and beckoned the two silent men over.
****
Now, as she sat in the warm and cozy living room of Bad End, Sam thought of everything that had happened over the past three weeks. Mainly she thought of the serious and vital talk that had taken place the morning after their arrival in the Shire. She remembered Frodo's face as he sat and listened intently to everything that had left Gandalf's mouth. Matters of War and death, of murder and betrayal, all of which were traced back to the little band of gold he held in his hand through the whole conversation.
His face had gotten more and more pale as the Wizard had gone on, his eyes seemingly begging his dear old friend to take it all back, to let him return to the simple and peaceful life he had had the previous morning, one that he had taken for granted his whole life. Now he would have given anything to have back.
Sam had thought of Bilbo, safe and at peace in Rivendell with Elrond and Arwen, and wondered if he had yet been told just what he had gotten his nephew into by leaving him that Ring.
Over all, as she had sat quietly in the corner of the room as Gandalf and Frodo talked, long into the morning, she thought that Frodo took to the whole situation rather well. Of course, there were those initial feelings of shock and despair, but when he realised just what was at stake with the whole thing, he rose to the occasion remarkably. It wasn't until Gandalf admitted that Frodo must leave the Shire that he became unsure.
Sam wondered if the little Hobbit realised what was happening out in the rest of the world, now that matters had been put into action. Did he realize that Aragorn had again doubled the number of his men guarding the Shire and protecting all the little lives within it? Did he realize that throughout Middle-Earth races were beginning to sense all was not well, that dark times were coming that threatened to destroy them all?
She doubted it. The Shire was all that was in Frodo's mind, and rightly so. Sam had realised with a ironic smile as she sat there, silent in the corner, watching the many emotions flit over Frodo's face, that no matter where you were in the universe, what planet or plane of existence, the natural urge to protect what is our own runs strong in all of us.
But the thought of little Frodo making the journey from the Shire by himself was what had worried her the most. Even if Frodo himself did not realize it, Gandalf could not make the initial journey with him. Both he and Sam were needed else where, she with her daughter and he had responsibilities that took him far from the Shire for the time being.
It wasn't till Samwise Gamgee had made his untimely entrance through the window that Sam had felt her fears begin to ease. She had liked the young gardener from the start and knew before the Wizard had even opened his mouth that he would be going with Frodo on his journey, wherever it may take them. Samwise had the same unwavering loyalty that Jack O'Neill had when leading his troops, and she knew he would never leave Frodo behind.
But now, three weeks later, as she watched the young Master of Bag End from her spot by the window, Sam realised it was more than just leaving the Shire itself that kept Frodo from beginning his mission. He was waiting for something. What that something was, Sam had no idea, and she wondered if Frodo even knew.
Something was keeping him here and he could not leave until he realised just what it was. Sam was concerned, but distracted at the sound of laughter in the hallway. Turning her head, she was relieved when Samwise and Merry came through the archway, both of them red faced and smelling very strongly of grass. The reason for this was made apparent when a sheepish Pippin slowly followed his kinsmen into the room, and even Frodo lost his wistful expression when he caught sight of the younger Hobbit.
"Good God. What on earth happened to you?" Sam asked bluntly when she saw the state Pippin was in. He was covered from head to toe in mud, dirt and grass and was walking with a very obvious limp. Alarmed, Sam jerked her head towards the window and peered out, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Madonna was quite happy on the side of the lane, head down and tale swishing idly in the breeze.
In the back of her mind reminding herself that she must go out and take the saddle and bridle off the horse before she forgot, Sam turned back and stared down at Pippin, one eyebrow raised in question. But it was Merry who answered in the end, in a cheerful tone that spoke more than any words could.
"It seems your Madonna doesn't take to kindly to certain people swinging off her hair. Pip here thought he could get down by himself by sliding down her neck." Grinning, Merry turned to his friend and nudged him non-to lightly in the ribs, making Pippin go beet red under all the mud.
"Miss Maddy sent this ruffian flying, that she did!"
Even as Pippin turned to glare at him, Merry was dancing out of the way, coming to hide behind Gandalf, who was watching and listening to their antics with barely contained amusement. Sam could see why he liked being amongst these people.
But when Samwise turned his hopeful eyes in her direction, Sam knew before he even opened his mouth that the day had only just begun.
"I've decided I rather like this beast of yours, Miss Samantha. Do you reckon Miss Maddy would mind taking me for a little ride later on?"
****
Meanwhile in Colorado Springs..
"Well?" the demanding voice said, making Janet close her eyes in exasperation. Counting to three, she took a deep breath, wishing at the same time that when she opened her eyes, the man in front of her would be gone.
No such luck. Heaving a sigh, Janet pushed Daniel's hand off the side of her desk and escaped to her filing cabinet on the other side of her office, wondering how on earth she was going to answer his question. He had cornered her annoyingly a few minutes ago and wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I really don't know, Daniel," she finally admitted, forcing herself to look up and meet with anxious eyes. Leaning back against the cabinet, she crossed her arms over her chest unconsciously as she pounded what to say next. "Has anyone else noticed anything?"
But Daniel just sighed and threw his hands up in irritation. "That's the thing, Jan." he explained. "Jonas thinks it's just a delayed sense of mourning and Teal'c basically told me to just leave him alone!" He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he had a huge headache.
"I just don't know what to do anymore. He's been acting weirder and weirder for so long now I think everyone's just forced themselves to get used to it." Janet grimaced in sympathy at the tired bewilderment in the man's voice.
If she was truly honest with herself, Janet had to admit she too, had been wondering about the Colonel's state of mind for a while now. Even if Daniel concerned visit had been pushed by the odd events of last week's Christmas dinner it had been going on about four years now. She knew it had something to do with Sam's disappearance, and if she hadn't been watching the Colonel as closely as she had been, she would have probably gone to the same conclusion Jonas obviously had. That he was finally mourning Sam's apparent death.
But she had been gone almost five years now and the timing of the whole thing was just off.
"You remember what he was like when Sam disappeared, Daniel. Maybe this is just that repeating itself." Shrugging her shoulders in helplessness, Janet knew it sounded weak even to her ears.
Sighing, Daniel leaned back in her chair. "I just don't understand it. He was doing so well a few years ago. Remember how he just seemed to snap out of it about a year after she disappeared?" When Janet nodded her head in agreement, Daniel continued. "I mean, I thought that it was it, you know? Maybe he was finally starting to heal like the rest of us. But now."
He trailed off, staring into space; his eyes filled with memories that only he could see. Janet could feel her own welling up inside her and ruthlessly pushed them back. This was not the time to get emotional again. Their friend needed them.
Five years.
God.
Almost five years.
Janet couldn't believe it had been that long since she had seen her. Even now, she still found herself wandering the halls of the SGC deep in thought and would find herself outside Sam's old office. There had been too many times to count in which the new occupant of that office would find her there, outside Sam's door, staring at the wall with dead eyes. It had been by unspoken agreement between Janet and the new doctor in Sam's office that they wouldn't speak if he saw her outside. They would just ignore each other completely. The doctor had gotten quite good at it over the years; he didn't even blink now in the odd time he saw her outside.
They still talked about her sometimes. When Jack wasn't there. It would start innocently enough as someone, usually Jonas, would start to smile or get a wistful look in their eyes, and everyone would know instantly they were thinking of Sam. They the stories would start, and go on and on, and would usually only stop if something got too emotional, or Jack walked in the room.
No one could say he hadn't gotten over it. For he had. What Daniel said was true. The first year had been hell for everyone, but especially for Jack. It was like he had fallen of the face of the planet for the first 7 months. The guys on SG-1 and Janet knew he was hardly ever at home, for they had all made an effort to go round there twice a week so how he was, but he was hardly ever there. Where he went, no one knew. It sure as hell wasn't Minnesota, for that was the first place they had gone and by the looks of things, it hadn't been lived in for years.
But then, he had come back suddenly. He was still distant, still cold, but he was there all the same. Hammond had gone over to his house and the two of them had had a long talk. About what, no one knew, for neither of them had ever talked about it, but then Jack had started coming back to work. Missions were easy and few, but they were still missions and everyone poured themselves into them.
It was Cassie who seemed to snap Jack out of it. No one knew how, but one day, Janet had arrived home from the mountain and found Jack sitting on her couch with Cassie beside him, the two of them sharing a bowl of ice cream as they silently watched The Simpson's on TV. Janet hadn't said a word, and neither had he, but every weekend after that, she would come home and he would be there, sitting on the couch with her daughter, eating ice cream.
As it turned out, it was around then that Cassie's and her own relationship started to improve. The past six months had been tense and stressful, as Janet never seemed to know where the teenager was. But after that, Cassie stayed home more, and when she did go out with her friends, she always made sure to tell Janet where she was going, and was always back early.
And Jack's outlook on the world seemed to completely change. It wasn't that he returned to his previous, dry humored self, far from it. But one morning he just turned up at the base a new person. Someone who had made peace with themselve and their demons, and who wanted nothing more than to live their life as best they could under the circumstances. He rarely talked about Sam, but that wasn't the point. It was that he now could without the frightening anger flaring in his eyes.
It was around that time that he started to wear that strange necklace around his neck. He never gave anyone an explanation of its origins, and after a while, people stopped asking. It wasn't that he would get angry when asked, it was that people would get the feeling the answer was better off not knowing.
Of course, Daniel never stopped pondering about it and where Jack had gotten it. Sometimes, when he would catch Jack fingering it idly on a mission, he would wonder if it was from a different planet, and Jack had just failed to hand it in once back on Earth. But then he would dismiss that thought from his mind as soon as it arrived, for Jack never made an effort to hide the stone from anybody, he just didn't talk about it. And that would be just stupid behavior if you have stolen it from off world.
By now, as he sat in Janet's office, idly flicking a pen between his fingers, he wondered about the stone again and what true significance it had to Jack. And this time, when the thought surfaced, he clung onto it. Frowning, Daniel turned to Janet and hesitantly asked,
"What do you reckon that stone of his means to him?" Janet instantly knew what stone he was talking about and leaned back, thinking over the question with a slight frown of her own.
"You know," she began slowly, as if hesitant to bring it up herself. "I wouldn't a clue." Looking up, she asked, "He's had it for years, thought, right?"
Daniel cautiously nodded. "I think so." Then he reached up and rubbed his nose again and he truly began to think about it. "He had it before Cass went to college, I know that, cause I remember that friend of hers. that red head.asking if she could try it on at graduation, and Jack basically told her to stuff it, 'member?"
Janet clicked her fingers. "Yeah, that's right! She complained to Cassie about it when we were in the bathrooms, and Cass got really mad at her for asking in the first place."
Even with the serious nature of their conversation, Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of an indignant Cassandra. But when he looked up, he found Janet regarding him seriously.
"Why?" she asked in a curious tone. "Do you think that stone's got something to do with his recent odd behavior?"
But Daniel only shook his head. "I really don't know, Jan. But you have to admit, it is strange, don't you think?"
Janet bit her lip, then slowly nodded. Yes, it was odd. "But there isn't much we can do about it, is there? I mean, I can guess you want to have a look at the damn thing, but he never takes it off his neck, as far as I know. How are you going to get your hands on it without him knowing?"
But Daniel was silent, not bothering to answer. When Janet again looked at him, she saw the determined expression on his face and groaned out loud. She knew that look. She had seen it hundreds, if not thousands of times over the past decade or so, and she knew they were all in for trouble.
At her groan, Daniel had flicked his eyes up to hers, and a slow grin appeared on his face as he saw her look. "Well?" he asked, leaning back on the chair as he grinned wolfishly up at her. "You game for some detective work, Doctor?"
Shaking her head, Janet pushed herself off from the filing cabinet and strolled over to his chair. Coming to a stop before him, she leaned forward and placed both hands on the chair arms, so they were face to face. Seeing his face, she felt a slow smile of her own breaking out on her own. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss to his lips before saying in a tone that broached no argument what so ever,
"If its anything illegal, Doctor Jackson, I am not bailing you out of jail if Jack lays charges." Sealing this threat with another kiss, she straightened and casually walked towards the door. Hearing only silence behind her, she stopped in the doorway, and turned back, only to find Daniel still in the chair, his glasses steamed up.
"Do hurry up, Daniel. Cassie and Michael are leaving tomorrow, so I've organized something special for dinner. We don't want to be late."
And with that, she idly strolled out the office door, knowing that by this time tomorrow they would be invading not only their old friend's privacy by looking into things that weren't their business, but also his trust. With Jack, Sam's memory was sacred, and even though he didn't talk about it often, they all know he would never completely get over her disappearance.
But Janet firmly told herself that if they could help him in whatever what they could, neither her nor Daniel would give up looking into the mysterious stone he wore around his neck like a lifeline. And neither of them could have possible known they were about to dive into a secret that was better off not knowing. For themselves and everyone else.
And far, far away, a strange little creature called a Hobbit finally made up his mind to leave his home and everything he knew to be good in the world, and begin a journey that would not only threaten his own life, but would start a chain of events so terrible it would determine the entire future of his world.
And as these two Doctors innocently started into motion a chain of events on their own planet that would bring under threat one man's sanity, they had no way of knowing a former friend, now claimed dead and gone, was to be thrust into a War so great, the freedom of a whole world depended on the outcome.
And no one, not the young Hobbit, nor the two Doctors, or their former friend, could have known both chains of events would soon by linked in the most curious way. A link forged in blood, and love, and the unwavering belief of one man that his family would eventually be together again..
Part Two
"Matters of Rings and Stones"
****
"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor, and to the Lord and Stewart of the realm, to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to come and to go, in need or plenty, in peace or war, in living or dying, from this hour henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me, or the world end. So say I, Peregrin son of Paladin of the Shire of the Halflings."
Pippin swearing allegiance to the Stewart of Gondor, "The Return of the King"
****
The first week of May, 3018 TA. The Village of Hobbiton, The Shire..
Feeling the wind of the glorious day around them blowing her long golden hair out behind her, Sam clutched the small body in front of her more tightly and spurred Madonna on, a grin bursting on her face as she felt the horse beneath her give in to the desire to run. The meadow became a green and gold blur as they galloped full tilt across the grass; Madonna's legs stretched as her powerful muscles flew them through the Shire.
She vaguely heard Pippin Took give a wild, war cry of a laugh from in front of her as he held on to Madonna's mane for all he was worth. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam knew she should probably slow down, that it wasn't safe for the young Hobbit to be travelling so fast on such a large horse, but the other half of her brain quickly squashed all resistance as they cleanly cleared a fallen log and took off across the paddock once again.
It had been three week since Sam and Gandalf had arrived in the Shire, and in those weeks Sam had found very little time to take Madonna for a long ride and she had missed it. Even though Gandalf often told her someday she was going to "fall off that blasted horse and break her reckless neck", Sam loved the excitement of the speed, the danger of the chase, and the complete and utter freedom of the wind through her unpinned hair.
It was obvious that Madonna was enjoying her chance of unbridled freedom as much as Sam and Pippin were, for the chestnut mare had been at full tilt for a while now and showed no sign of wanting to slow down herself.
"Hold on, Pippin!" Sam yelled above the pounding of hooves as the trio expertly wove around a set of trees that Sam knew signaled their arrival in the outskirts of Hobbiton. Spying the country road just above the rise, Sam changed Madonna's direction ever so slightly with the flick of her wrist, and without slowing down in the slightest, the horse tensed her muscles and cleared the hill so they now flew parallel with the road.
She could now see the smoke rising slowly from the tops of the Hobbit holes of the village and knew their little expedition of thrills was soon to be over. Unwilling to send Pippin off without a bang, Sam loosened her hold on the reigns to give Madonna all the head she wanted, leaned forward and cried, "Come on, Maddy! Just a little bit more!" and was rewarded when the mare gave a determined snort, pulled her head down and lengthened her stride.
From the corner of her eye, Sam caught sight of the stout figure of a Hobbit on the road turn with a start at the sound of the approaching horse and jump clear in the air as he saw Madonna flying towards him. Recognizing the Hobbit instantly, Sam grinned devilish and yelled for Pippin's attention.
But it was obvious the young Took had already noticed the fellow Hobbit on the road, for the instant he flew past on Madonna, the horse a tad closer to the Hobbit than necessary, Pippin straightened, and keeping one hand firmly clutched in the mane, he cupped his mouth and yelled down at the stunned young man,
"Sorry, Ted! No time to stop for a chat!"
And as Ted Sandyman's jaw literally hit the ground as he watched Pippin zoom past in a blur of red horse and Sam's golden hair, Pippin leaned back against Sam and let out another wild, completely uncivilized, war cry of a laugh.
Sam felt like joining him, and did.
She barely noticed the other Hobbits stop what they were doing and stare as they galloped over the front paddocks of the village on their way towards Bag End. But when she finally, regretfully, pulled Madonna to a halt a few minutes later, she could feel the round, staring eyes of the awed Hobbit children who had obviously seen them coming and bolted up the hill to catch a closer glimpse of the mad woman, her equally mad horse and the obviously insane Hobbit who dared join them.
Jumping cleanly from Madonna's back, she gave the heaving horse a quick pat on her rump before walking to her front and reaching up to kiss her firmly on her nose. Madonna snorted and tossed her head, her sides heaving from their exertion.
"Now, Maddy! Stop that!" laughed Sam as her horse tossed her head again. Still laughing, Sam walked around Madonna's side and stared up at Pippin, hands on her hips, which were hidden in the folds of her comfortable cinnamon skirt.
The Hobbit looked half crazed, sitting up on the seemingly enormous horse, his normally curly hair sticking out in all direction, clothes wind blown and littered with bits of leaves. His eyes were wide as buckets and still held the wild lit from minutes ago. He was staring out in front of him, a silly grin on his face, seemingly blind to his surroundings.
"Well, Master Peregrin?" Sam prompted, hoping he didn't have a sudden heart attack or something. "What is your opinion of horses now?"
"Huh?" was Pippin's only legible answer and he suddenly blinked madly and stared down at her as if he had just realised she was there.
Giggling, Sam was just reaching up to pull him from the saddle when the front door of Bag End flew open and two more small figures rushed out to meet them. Leaving Pippin where he was for the moment, Sam turned and grinned down at the gaping faces of Merry Brandybuck and Samwise Gamgee, both of whom had come to a skidding halt at the gate and were staring up at Pippin like he had grown five additional heads.
"Saints spare me, what have you gone and done, Mr. Pippin?" was Samwise's whispered inquiry. Merry, it seemed, was still unable to speak, for he was still gaping up at his cousin, shaking his head from side to side, obviously not believing his eyes.
Their reaction seemed to be exactly what Pippin needed to retain his sanity for he suddenly straightened in the saddle and tilted his nose down at them. "I'll have you two know, thank you very much, that I am now an accomplished horseman."
Hiding her snort in Madonna's side, Sam turned back to Sam and Merry, both whom had turned their head to her for verification of this amazing statement the instant it had left Pippin's mouth. Forcing a serious expression on her face, she nodded her head sagely while giving Madonna a leisurely pat.
"Be that as it may, Peregrin Took," came a deep voice rife with amusement from the doorway, "Don't go getting it into that foolish head of yours to take up the sport as a regular occurrence. I will not be picking up bits of you from here to Buckland the next time you take a fancy of scaring the living daylights out of Ted Sandyman!"
They all looked up as Gandalf poked his head out of the doorway, his bushy gray eyebrows pushed up in inquiry as his expectant gaze settled on the mounted Hobbit, who had the sense to look sheepish and nod silently.
While in the back on her mind wondering how on earth Gandalf could have known about Ted Sandyman, Sam left Pippin and Madonna where they where, knowing Madonna wouldn't stray to far from Bag End for a few minutes, and met the Wizard as he left the doorway. Reaching up, she gave her dear friend a loving kiss on his rough cheek before linking her arm through his as they turned to head in doors.
Behind her, she heard Pippin cry to the Hobbits below him, "You should have seen it, Merry! I was going so fast the trees seemed to be all joined together! And Sam! You should have seen Ted's face! You would have loved it!"
Then...
"Here, here! Just where are you all going? Can someone get me down from here!? Samantha? Gandalf?"
****
They found Frodo seated in front of the open fire, despite the humid temperature of the day, staring moodily into the flames as if expecting them to reveal all the secrets of the world. Hearing Sam and Gandalf's arrival in the front hall, the dark haired Hobbit quickly jumped to his feet as a guilty flush stained his neck. Turning to his guests, he forced a smile to light his lips as he glanced out the window.
"You have finally managed to get my cousin up on that beast of yours, I see, Samantha." Frodo said with humor as they entered the room, both ducking unconsciously as the cleared the low doorway. Sam had smacked her forehead enough times in the first week of their stay for the gesture to have become reflex by now.
Sam smiled down at her new friend as she made a beeline towards the kitchen. Helping herself to a cup of tea, she called through the door, "Pippin sure won't be making any more comments about Maddy, I assure you, Frodo." Smiling at the answering laughter her remark had caused, Sam seized one of the tasty pastries cooling on the bench and came back to the den.
She found Gandalf sitting in his usual seat, puffing away on his pipe as he casually regarded Frodo under bushy gray eyebrows as the young Hobbit stood silently in front of the window, watching wistfully as his laughing friends played merrily with Madonna. Sam was sure her dear horse was putting up with their childish behavior with barely contained tolerance.
Hearing the clicking of her shoes as she came back into the room, Frodo quickly turned from the window and smiled kindly at her as he moved out of her way, brushing away Sam's protests that she was fine sitting by the fire. Sam had taken to sitting on the window seat each morning, as she liked watching the small Hobbits as they went about their daily business.
After four years at Lothlórien, there was something refreshing, soothing and undeniably simple about life among the little people that warmed Sam's heart. Not for the first time, she felt a stab of regret at the thought of Gilrean back among the elves, having never known a life like this. Sam had sworn to herself after only an afternoon in the Shire that she would find some way to bring Gilrean here to stay, even if that was to be years in the future.
As she took a seat, Sam covertly regarded the Hobbit as Gandalf had been, watching and waiting for the moment Frodo would announce plans for his departure. In the three weeks since Sam and Gandalf had arrived suddenly in the Shire in the second week of April, Frodo hadn't spoken a word about the matters which had been discussed at length the morning after their arrival. Sam knew she would remember that morning for the rest of her life.
Despite the fact Gandalf hadn't been in the Shire in over nine years, their arrival on the night of the 12th April had been met with only happy kindness on Frodo's behalf, the Hobbit refraining to comment on the Wizard's rather alarming absence. He had greeted Sam with frank curiosity, as she knew he would, understanding from Gandalf that not many Tall Folk ventured into the Shire.
His reunion with Gandalf had been touching, the young Hobbit bombarding the Wizard with questions about the elves before he had even taken a seat. But Gandalf had been firm, and refused to discuss anything until the morning, stating that what both he and Samantha were in need of most was a warm bed and a long nap. Sam had thought instantly of her daughter back in Lorien with Galadriel, who would be long in bed by this hour, and was struck with a stab of longing to see her golden face again, even though they had only been separated a matter of days.
As it had turned out, their departure from Lothlórien had been postponed over a month after a vital message had arrived from Aragorn in February requesting they delay until he arrived in April, stating he had essential news he must share with Gandalf and Celeborn both. So they had all spent restless and anxious weeks waiting for his return, both Sam and Gandalf eager to be off on their journey, but knowing Aragorn wouldn't halt their progress unless it was something vitally important.
He had finally arrived, cold and dirty, late at night in the middle of April and had asked to be immediately taken to Celeborn and Galadriel, who had greeted him anxiously. Sam remembered the haggard look on his handsome face as he quickly told all to his silent audience, and had wanted nothing more than to smooth the tired lines away.
His news was indeed dire. With a heavy heart and a grim expression, he had told them that his Dúnedain Rangers had spotted Mordoran scouts heading towards the Shire and would be there in a matter of weeks. Sam remembered with a chill the look of complete and utter defeat on Gandalf's face as he heard the news, and as she watched, he bent his head and closed his eyes as if in pain. Sam knew he had been dreading this moment for years, but would have secretly hoped it would never come.
There was no time for delay after that. The conference had broken up quickly as everyone went to work. Gandalf and Aragorn had headed down the corridor, both their heads bent close together as they made plans. Celeborn and Haldir had headed in the direction of the armory, no doubt to double the weapons Gandalf and Sam would be taking on their journey while a white faced Galadriel went straight to her chambers to write a quick message to Elrond, explaining all to her son-in-law in Rivendell.
As for Sam, she had headed slowly up the stairs to where her daughter lay sleeping in her bed, knowing with a heavy heart that they would be gone by the time she woke in the morning. So she had sat there, on the side of the small bed, the room silent save for Gilrean's light breathing, content to just watch her daughter's fair features relax in sleep.
Lightly brushing a wisp of golden hair off Gilrean's face with the tip of her finger, Sam had gently traced the curve of the child's brow, smiling softly at how it mirrored Jack's. She thought of him then, as she often did when looking at his daughter, wondering if he was well and what he was doing at that moment.
Sometime later, Gilrean had stirred, her little face scrunching up as she fought consciousness. But when her eyes had finally fluttered open, hazy with sleep, she saw Sam sitting on the bed and murmured softly, "Mama?"
Biting her lip, Sam had leaned down and brushed a kiss on the little girl's forehead, even as Gilrean pushed herself up off the pillow. "Is Aragorn here, Ma?" she asked groggily. But when Sam had nodded her head, Gilrean had blinked in excitement and made to jump out of the bed, only to get tangled in her nightgown in the process.
"No, hen." Sam had murmured quietly, while gathering the little girl up on her lap. "He's busy with Gandalf at the moment." Looking down into the pouting face, Sam had smiled and started to stroke her daughter's fine hair to sooth her. "They have some very important things to sort out before morning, but I'm sure he'll come and see you when he can."
Obviously sensing something in her mother's tone, Gilrean had tilted her small face up through her hair to regard Sam with wise, solemn eyes. "Are you and Mithrandir leaving soon, Ma? Now that Aragorn's here?" And when Sam had nodded her head in answer, wondering how Gilrean was going to take the news that not only her mother and Gandalf would be leaving, but Aragorn also, was bound to leave the next day. Now that he had delivered his message, he would be anxious to get back to his men.
But Gilrean had only nodded her head, accepting what had to be done. Then she had surprised Sam by reaching up and tangling her small arms around her mother's neck, bringing them face to face. Her face serious, she told Sam calmly, "I'll be a good girl, I promise, Mama. I'll help Galadriel all the time and I won't get into any trouble until you get back, okay?"
Chuckling, Sam had hugged the little girl. "I know you will, hen." Feeling tears threaten, she had hastily wiped her eyes before pulling back, kissing the top of Gilrean's head as she went. "I'm sure Galadriel will be pleased to have the help."
Pleased, Gilrean had snuggled into her mother's lap and closed her eyes, something that made Sam's heart clench tightly in her chest, for Gilrean was normally a very independent child and didn't often seek comfort. But when Sam had thought her again asleep, she was surprised when the little girl stirred and murmured softly, "I'll be very brave, like Da was when Pènne sent him home."
Opening her mouth to answer, Sam caught sight of movement in the doorway and closed it abruptly. Slowly turning her head, she found not only Gandalf, but also Aragorn standing quietly under the archway that separated Gilrean's nursery from the main chamber of their apartments, watching the pair on the bed with solemn expressions. Knowing it was time to go, Sam turned back to her daughter and gently untangled her arms from around her neck. Laying her back on the bed, she whispered softly, "I know you will, baby. Just like Da was."
Then she straightened and beckoned the two silent men over.
****
Now, as she sat in the warm and cozy living room of Bad End, Sam thought of everything that had happened over the past three weeks. Mainly she thought of the serious and vital talk that had taken place the morning after their arrival in the Shire. She remembered Frodo's face as he sat and listened intently to everything that had left Gandalf's mouth. Matters of War and death, of murder and betrayal, all of which were traced back to the little band of gold he held in his hand through the whole conversation.
His face had gotten more and more pale as the Wizard had gone on, his eyes seemingly begging his dear old friend to take it all back, to let him return to the simple and peaceful life he had had the previous morning, one that he had taken for granted his whole life. Now he would have given anything to have back.
Sam had thought of Bilbo, safe and at peace in Rivendell with Elrond and Arwen, and wondered if he had yet been told just what he had gotten his nephew into by leaving him that Ring.
Over all, as she had sat quietly in the corner of the room as Gandalf and Frodo talked, long into the morning, she thought that Frodo took to the whole situation rather well. Of course, there were those initial feelings of shock and despair, but when he realised just what was at stake with the whole thing, he rose to the occasion remarkably. It wasn't until Gandalf admitted that Frodo must leave the Shire that he became unsure.
Sam wondered if the little Hobbit realised what was happening out in the rest of the world, now that matters had been put into action. Did he realize that Aragorn had again doubled the number of his men guarding the Shire and protecting all the little lives within it? Did he realize that throughout Middle-Earth races were beginning to sense all was not well, that dark times were coming that threatened to destroy them all?
She doubted it. The Shire was all that was in Frodo's mind, and rightly so. Sam had realised with a ironic smile as she sat there, silent in the corner, watching the many emotions flit over Frodo's face, that no matter where you were in the universe, what planet or plane of existence, the natural urge to protect what is our own runs strong in all of us.
But the thought of little Frodo making the journey from the Shire by himself was what had worried her the most. Even if Frodo himself did not realize it, Gandalf could not make the initial journey with him. Both he and Sam were needed else where, she with her daughter and he had responsibilities that took him far from the Shire for the time being.
It wasn't till Samwise Gamgee had made his untimely entrance through the window that Sam had felt her fears begin to ease. She had liked the young gardener from the start and knew before the Wizard had even opened his mouth that he would be going with Frodo on his journey, wherever it may take them. Samwise had the same unwavering loyalty that Jack O'Neill had when leading his troops, and she knew he would never leave Frodo behind.
But now, three weeks later, as she watched the young Master of Bag End from her spot by the window, Sam realised it was more than just leaving the Shire itself that kept Frodo from beginning his mission. He was waiting for something. What that something was, Sam had no idea, and she wondered if Frodo even knew.
Something was keeping him here and he could not leave until he realised just what it was. Sam was concerned, but distracted at the sound of laughter in the hallway. Turning her head, she was relieved when Samwise and Merry came through the archway, both of them red faced and smelling very strongly of grass. The reason for this was made apparent when a sheepish Pippin slowly followed his kinsmen into the room, and even Frodo lost his wistful expression when he caught sight of the younger Hobbit.
"Good God. What on earth happened to you?" Sam asked bluntly when she saw the state Pippin was in. He was covered from head to toe in mud, dirt and grass and was walking with a very obvious limp. Alarmed, Sam jerked her head towards the window and peered out, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Madonna was quite happy on the side of the lane, head down and tale swishing idly in the breeze.
In the back of her mind reminding herself that she must go out and take the saddle and bridle off the horse before she forgot, Sam turned back and stared down at Pippin, one eyebrow raised in question. But it was Merry who answered in the end, in a cheerful tone that spoke more than any words could.
"It seems your Madonna doesn't take to kindly to certain people swinging off her hair. Pip here thought he could get down by himself by sliding down her neck." Grinning, Merry turned to his friend and nudged him non-to lightly in the ribs, making Pippin go beet red under all the mud.
"Miss Maddy sent this ruffian flying, that she did!"
Even as Pippin turned to glare at him, Merry was dancing out of the way, coming to hide behind Gandalf, who was watching and listening to their antics with barely contained amusement. Sam could see why he liked being amongst these people.
But when Samwise turned his hopeful eyes in her direction, Sam knew before he even opened his mouth that the day had only just begun.
"I've decided I rather like this beast of yours, Miss Samantha. Do you reckon Miss Maddy would mind taking me for a little ride later on?"
****
Meanwhile in Colorado Springs..
"Well?" the demanding voice said, making Janet close her eyes in exasperation. Counting to three, she took a deep breath, wishing at the same time that when she opened her eyes, the man in front of her would be gone.
No such luck. Heaving a sigh, Janet pushed Daniel's hand off the side of her desk and escaped to her filing cabinet on the other side of her office, wondering how on earth she was going to answer his question. He had cornered her annoyingly a few minutes ago and wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I really don't know, Daniel," she finally admitted, forcing herself to look up and meet with anxious eyes. Leaning back against the cabinet, she crossed her arms over her chest unconsciously as she pounded what to say next. "Has anyone else noticed anything?"
But Daniel just sighed and threw his hands up in irritation. "That's the thing, Jan." he explained. "Jonas thinks it's just a delayed sense of mourning and Teal'c basically told me to just leave him alone!" He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he had a huge headache.
"I just don't know what to do anymore. He's been acting weirder and weirder for so long now I think everyone's just forced themselves to get used to it." Janet grimaced in sympathy at the tired bewilderment in the man's voice.
If she was truly honest with herself, Janet had to admit she too, had been wondering about the Colonel's state of mind for a while now. Even if Daniel concerned visit had been pushed by the odd events of last week's Christmas dinner it had been going on about four years now. She knew it had something to do with Sam's disappearance, and if she hadn't been watching the Colonel as closely as she had been, she would have probably gone to the same conclusion Jonas obviously had. That he was finally mourning Sam's apparent death.
But she had been gone almost five years now and the timing of the whole thing was just off.
"You remember what he was like when Sam disappeared, Daniel. Maybe this is just that repeating itself." Shrugging her shoulders in helplessness, Janet knew it sounded weak even to her ears.
Sighing, Daniel leaned back in her chair. "I just don't understand it. He was doing so well a few years ago. Remember how he just seemed to snap out of it about a year after she disappeared?" When Janet nodded her head in agreement, Daniel continued. "I mean, I thought that it was it, you know? Maybe he was finally starting to heal like the rest of us. But now."
He trailed off, staring into space; his eyes filled with memories that only he could see. Janet could feel her own welling up inside her and ruthlessly pushed them back. This was not the time to get emotional again. Their friend needed them.
Five years.
God.
Almost five years.
Janet couldn't believe it had been that long since she had seen her. Even now, she still found herself wandering the halls of the SGC deep in thought and would find herself outside Sam's old office. There had been too many times to count in which the new occupant of that office would find her there, outside Sam's door, staring at the wall with dead eyes. It had been by unspoken agreement between Janet and the new doctor in Sam's office that they wouldn't speak if he saw her outside. They would just ignore each other completely. The doctor had gotten quite good at it over the years; he didn't even blink now in the odd time he saw her outside.
They still talked about her sometimes. When Jack wasn't there. It would start innocently enough as someone, usually Jonas, would start to smile or get a wistful look in their eyes, and everyone would know instantly they were thinking of Sam. They the stories would start, and go on and on, and would usually only stop if something got too emotional, or Jack walked in the room.
No one could say he hadn't gotten over it. For he had. What Daniel said was true. The first year had been hell for everyone, but especially for Jack. It was like he had fallen of the face of the planet for the first 7 months. The guys on SG-1 and Janet knew he was hardly ever at home, for they had all made an effort to go round there twice a week so how he was, but he was hardly ever there. Where he went, no one knew. It sure as hell wasn't Minnesota, for that was the first place they had gone and by the looks of things, it hadn't been lived in for years.
But then, he had come back suddenly. He was still distant, still cold, but he was there all the same. Hammond had gone over to his house and the two of them had had a long talk. About what, no one knew, for neither of them had ever talked about it, but then Jack had started coming back to work. Missions were easy and few, but they were still missions and everyone poured themselves into them.
It was Cassie who seemed to snap Jack out of it. No one knew how, but one day, Janet had arrived home from the mountain and found Jack sitting on her couch with Cassie beside him, the two of them sharing a bowl of ice cream as they silently watched The Simpson's on TV. Janet hadn't said a word, and neither had he, but every weekend after that, she would come home and he would be there, sitting on the couch with her daughter, eating ice cream.
As it turned out, it was around then that Cassie's and her own relationship started to improve. The past six months had been tense and stressful, as Janet never seemed to know where the teenager was. But after that, Cassie stayed home more, and when she did go out with her friends, she always made sure to tell Janet where she was going, and was always back early.
And Jack's outlook on the world seemed to completely change. It wasn't that he returned to his previous, dry humored self, far from it. But one morning he just turned up at the base a new person. Someone who had made peace with themselve and their demons, and who wanted nothing more than to live their life as best they could under the circumstances. He rarely talked about Sam, but that wasn't the point. It was that he now could without the frightening anger flaring in his eyes.
It was around that time that he started to wear that strange necklace around his neck. He never gave anyone an explanation of its origins, and after a while, people stopped asking. It wasn't that he would get angry when asked, it was that people would get the feeling the answer was better off not knowing.
Of course, Daniel never stopped pondering about it and where Jack had gotten it. Sometimes, when he would catch Jack fingering it idly on a mission, he would wonder if it was from a different planet, and Jack had just failed to hand it in once back on Earth. But then he would dismiss that thought from his mind as soon as it arrived, for Jack never made an effort to hide the stone from anybody, he just didn't talk about it. And that would be just stupid behavior if you have stolen it from off world.
By now, as he sat in Janet's office, idly flicking a pen between his fingers, he wondered about the stone again and what true significance it had to Jack. And this time, when the thought surfaced, he clung onto it. Frowning, Daniel turned to Janet and hesitantly asked,
"What do you reckon that stone of his means to him?" Janet instantly knew what stone he was talking about and leaned back, thinking over the question with a slight frown of her own.
"You know," she began slowly, as if hesitant to bring it up herself. "I wouldn't a clue." Looking up, she asked, "He's had it for years, thought, right?"
Daniel cautiously nodded. "I think so." Then he reached up and rubbed his nose again and he truly began to think about it. "He had it before Cass went to college, I know that, cause I remember that friend of hers. that red head.asking if she could try it on at graduation, and Jack basically told her to stuff it, 'member?"
Janet clicked her fingers. "Yeah, that's right! She complained to Cassie about it when we were in the bathrooms, and Cass got really mad at her for asking in the first place."
Even with the serious nature of their conversation, Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of an indignant Cassandra. But when he looked up, he found Janet regarding him seriously.
"Why?" she asked in a curious tone. "Do you think that stone's got something to do with his recent odd behavior?"
But Daniel only shook his head. "I really don't know, Jan. But you have to admit, it is strange, don't you think?"
Janet bit her lip, then slowly nodded. Yes, it was odd. "But there isn't much we can do about it, is there? I mean, I can guess you want to have a look at the damn thing, but he never takes it off his neck, as far as I know. How are you going to get your hands on it without him knowing?"
But Daniel was silent, not bothering to answer. When Janet again looked at him, she saw the determined expression on his face and groaned out loud. She knew that look. She had seen it hundreds, if not thousands of times over the past decade or so, and she knew they were all in for trouble.
At her groan, Daniel had flicked his eyes up to hers, and a slow grin appeared on his face as he saw her look. "Well?" he asked, leaning back on the chair as he grinned wolfishly up at her. "You game for some detective work, Doctor?"
Shaking her head, Janet pushed herself off from the filing cabinet and strolled over to his chair. Coming to a stop before him, she leaned forward and placed both hands on the chair arms, so they were face to face. Seeing his face, she felt a slow smile of her own breaking out on her own. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss to his lips before saying in a tone that broached no argument what so ever,
"If its anything illegal, Doctor Jackson, I am not bailing you out of jail if Jack lays charges." Sealing this threat with another kiss, she straightened and casually walked towards the door. Hearing only silence behind her, she stopped in the doorway, and turned back, only to find Daniel still in the chair, his glasses steamed up.
"Do hurry up, Daniel. Cassie and Michael are leaving tomorrow, so I've organized something special for dinner. We don't want to be late."
And with that, she idly strolled out the office door, knowing that by this time tomorrow they would be invading not only their old friend's privacy by looking into things that weren't their business, but also his trust. With Jack, Sam's memory was sacred, and even though he didn't talk about it often, they all know he would never completely get over her disappearance.
But Janet firmly told herself that if they could help him in whatever what they could, neither her nor Daniel would give up looking into the mysterious stone he wore around his neck like a lifeline. And neither of them could have possible known they were about to dive into a secret that was better off not knowing. For themselves and everyone else.
And far, far away, a strange little creature called a Hobbit finally made up his mind to leave his home and everything he knew to be good in the world, and begin a journey that would not only threaten his own life, but would start a chain of events so terrible it would determine the entire future of his world.
And as these two Doctors innocently started into motion a chain of events on their own planet that would bring under threat one man's sanity, they had no way of knowing a former friend, now claimed dead and gone, was to be thrust into a War so great, the freedom of a whole world depended on the outcome.
And no one, not the young Hobbit, nor the two Doctors, or their former friend, could have known both chains of events would soon by linked in the most curious way. A link forged in blood, and love, and the unwavering belief of one man that his family would eventually be together again..